Winter's Echo

by Volchise

Elsa and Anna have gone their separate ways, carving new paths for their lives. Elsa was so sure she was ready. In many ways, she was; but one can only prepare for what one expects. Honeymaren...was not one of those things. Follow the Fifth Spirit's journey as she discovers herself anew and learns how to love her most impossible foe...herself. Elsa/Maren (rating change!)

48. Awakening

Winter's Echo

Chapter Forty-Eight – Awakening

Honeymaren awoke to the faraway cries of seabirds drifting in on the salty breeze through the open balcony doors. She opened one eye and lifted her head groggily to glance out over the water to see the beautiful display of purples, pinks, and dark blues as twilight prepared the sky for the sun's imminent arrival on the horizon. The Northuldran turned her head to gaze upon her peacefully sleeping wife, a warm, adoring smile tugging at her lips as she took in the queen's rare sleeping position – the spirit of winter must have been more exhausted than the noaide had thought. Elsa laid on her stomach, one hand curled near her face while the other was nearly hidden by her mane of molten white-gold locks that flared about her like a silken halo. She had foregone the use of a pillow during the night, instead content to lay flat on the mattress with the blankets tangled about her hips, leaving the creamy skin of her torso beautifully exposed to the almost-morning light that began to creep into the room.

Honeymaren slowly ran a warm palm up and down the sleeping woman's back, marveling at the softness of her wife's skin. Her ministrations were rewarded with a soft sigh of pure contentment from the sleeping woman that made the fire maven's heart flutter – to see Elsa in such a state of calm was a soothing balm to the fire maven's soul that she would never cease to marvel at. The blonde queen truly had become the center of Honeymaren's world the day she had come to the forest in ways even the astute noaide had no way of predicting. "Only Ahtohallan knows what I did to deserve you, my goddess," she whispered to her sleeping wife as she continued her soothing motions, simply taking in the beauty before her and reveling in the calm moments of well-deserved peace they had finally earned.

Though the temptation to gather her new wife in her arms and spend the rest of the morning in bed was great, a desire and ache for normalcy and the routine of simpler times nagged at the noaide's mind and forced her from the comfort of their marital bed. She leaned over to place a sweet, lingering kiss on Elsa's temple, whispering her love to her sleeping angel before she stood and headed toward the washroom – she would answer nature's call and clean herself up before getting dressed and exploring the small estate in search of a way to make breakfast for her new wife. As she exited the washroom, a quick glance to the bed made her smile; the blonde had not even stirred at the sound of movements or running water in the room. She chuckled to herself – it appeared their reunion after their brief celibacy had done quite a number on the wintery royal in ways beyond mental and emotional exhaustion. The dark-haired woman's smile turned to a full-on grin – she was sure her love's wonderfully surprising endurance would return quickly, especially if Honeymaren had anything to do with it. Last night had proven that the queen was just as keen to explore their wedded bliss as Honeymaren herself was and the fire maven intended to encourage her goddess to explore her every fantasy.

Honeymaren moved silently through the bedroom before making her way into the overly large dressing room, a small chuckle escaping her – there was something liberating about walking about naked in an establishment as fine as this. She wondered what her chances of convincing Elsa to do the same were. She pondered this fantasy with a growing smirk as she entered the dressing area, her eyes lighting on two trunks placed on either side of the room, one having already been opened. She raised an eyebrow as she spied a half-folded piece of parchment on the ground next to the trunk, bending to retrieve it. The Northuldran instantly recognized Anna's handwriting and moved to refold the letter but paused when her eyes grazed the words "nerves are starting to get the best of you". Honeymaren frowned, debating with herself for only a brief moment before opening the letter and reading it, a warm smile coming to her face as twilight eyes scanned Anna's wise words of comfort for her incredibly nervous new bride and eyed the flask sitting atop the naughty, silken clothes in Elsa's trunk mirthfully. She raised an eyebrow at the mention of a gift from her new friend Belle, the Duchess de Chagny, waiting in her own trunk. She carefully folded the letter once more and set it next to her wife's trunk before moving across the room to open her own with only slight hesitation to find a medium-sized box wrapped in plain, unassuming brown paper and twine, a folded piece of parchment tucked beneath the twine with her name on it.

Honeymaren slipped the letter from beneath the parchment and unfolded it carefully, her eyes scanning an elegant script she didn't recognize.

Knight of Arendelle,

I hope this gift finds you in good health and even better spirits now that you are officially on your honeymoon. Be sure to open it with your new wife present – this truly is a gift for both of you, though I'm sure your lovely new bride will need some time to warm up to the idea. If there were ever a couple that deserved to expand the horizons of pleasure, it would be the two of you – and if ever there were someone that could make your sweet queen feel comfortable and safe enough to allow herself such pleasures, it would be you.

Anna tried to get me to include a bottle of akvavit with this gift – 'liquid courage for Elsa', she called it - but I refused in the name of wishing you and your beautiful new wife an enjoyable evening. Instead, you will find a bottle of the finest Cognac to be had from my private reserves – perfect for a chilly night on the beach or to loosen the grip of society's silly inhibitions on love and pleasure.

Enjoy your life and your love, my new friend!

Warmest Regards,

Belle, Duchess de Chagny

Honeymaren smirked and pulled the box out of her trunk to see a crystal bottle filled with a honey-brown liquid nestled in her folded clothes beneath it. She set the mystery box down next to the trunk and laid the letter atop it before carefully lifting the rather beautiful bottle from its fabric nest, uncorking it, and taking a hesitant sniff. The fire maven made a small noise of pleasant surprise as she took in the delightfully spiced smell, lifting the bottle to her lips to take an experimental sip. Though the alcohol burned like fire going down her throat, the sensation was not at all unpleasant as she had expected it to be. Rather than the sharp, stabbing flames of akvavit that made her body nearly rebel against the sensation, this liquor smoothly spread a warmth throughout her as it traveled, like swallowing a spoonful of hot honey. She took another small sip and hummed pleasantly, allowing the liquor to sit on her tongue for a moment as she savored the earthy flavors of the brew before corking it once more and setting it next to the trunk with a smile – that bottle could equal a lot of fun.

Honeymaren reached into her trunk and pulled out a loose-fitting, white button-up shirt, donning it smoothly as her eyes searched her trunk. She began buttoning up the shirt and contemplating her options of clothing when a faint moaning sound reached her ears. Her fingers froze halfway up the buttons as she stilled, her head tilting to the side as she listened attentively for the sound again. Just as she was about to dismiss the sound as her imagination it came again, this time accompanied by what sounded like movement on the bed. Honeymaren made her way back into the bedroom as she did up a couple more buttons, stopping at the side of the bed and smiling warmly. Elsa had turned over in her sleep, white-gold tresses splayed beautifully across the pillow and forming a silken halo about the queen's head. Her chest was bare to the cool almost-morning air, her hips and legs tangled hopelessly in the glossy sheets. Honeymaren felt her breath leave her at the exquisite vision that was her sleeping wife, finding herself speechless for what felt like the thousandth time in the presence of the winter goddess as her eyes greedily raked over her half nude, angelic form.

'And she's all mine,' whispered a possessive voice in the back of her mind.

Before she could contemplate that sudden thought, a soft moan from her sleeping wife brought the fire maven back from her internal musings. Dark brows furrowed slightly as she took in the slightly scrunching features of the blonde along with twitching muscles and fingers and her uneven breathing. Was the queen having a nightmare? Just as Honeymaren leaned down, intent on soothing her beloved, another, more breathless moan escaped the blonde's lips, along with a single whispered word.

"Yes…"

Honeymaren blinked in surprise before a large grin slowly grew on her face, her eyes now registering her bride's muscle twitches and unsteady breathing in a wonderfully different category – the Queen of Ice and Snow was having a dream that seemed to be anything but cold. The fire maven reached out carefully and slowly grazed one of the queen's exposed and already stiff nipples with a warm palm, grinning from ear to ear when the sleeping woman instinctively pushed her chest upward toward her touch. Honeymaren began to slowly and carefully untangle the silken sheets from about her wife's hips – she had planned to wake the queen up with a breakfast of eggs, milk, and honey, but the fire maven's mouth now watered with an infinitely sweeter craving as she carefully peeled away the lacy white underwear from the night before, slipping it down long, toned legs and tossing the delicate garment aside.

Honeymaren settled carefully between her wife's legs, twilight eyes keeping a close watch on the blonde's state of wakefulness. Elsa's head turned to the other side, her mouth opening slightly in what she assumed was a wordless moan in her dream and she smirked. "Let's see if reality can win over your sweet dreams, my goddess," she whispered playfully to her sleeping wife before slowly running the flat of her tongue up the length of her sex experimentally. Elsa's hips jerked instantly in response as a breathy moan escaped her lips, fingers weakly grasping the pillow above her head and squeezing slightly. Honeymaren grinned and gripped her wife's hips firmly before repeating the action, this time flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves at the front of her sex with the tip of her tongue, moaning softly at the whimpering gasp that rewarded her. The fire maven clamped down on the desire to immediately begin assaulting the sensitive nub to hear that beautiful sound again. The exhausted queen had obviously been overwhelmed by their passions the night before, both physically and mentally if Elsa's dazed, emotional tears were any indication. Though the blonde's current dream made it clear that she was eager and ready for more, Honeymaren saw nothing wrong with taking the scenic route to bring her queen to the heights of heaven.

It became a passionate dance between the fire maven and Elsa's subconscious mind as the queen reaped the rewards of a dream coupled with an equally beautiful reality. When the winter goddess was on the edge of wakefulness, Honeymaren would slow her movements, allowing Morpheus to claim her once more before resuming her ministrations, allowing the pleasure to build inside the queen slowly. Soon, however, the pleasure Elsa felt would not be contained within the walls of the dream that was beginning to pale in comparison to the reality she was quickly wakening to. When crystalline eyes finally opened, they were met with passion-darkened twilight staring up at her from between her legs. Before her mind could register this fact, however, it first had to come to terms with the incredible reserve of pleasure it had just awakened to, her body on the brink of orgasm with no true recollection of how she had gotten there. Instinctively, one hand reached behind her and grasped desperately onto one of the slats of the thick, wooden headboard in an effort to ground herself in reality while her other shot down to tangle in her wife's dark tresses to ensure she would stay exactly where she was as she gasped helplessly for air. The feel of the queen's fingers tangled in her hair, coupled with the sounds of the blonde's breathless pleasure obliterated Honeymaren's last shred of self-control as she immediately suckled sharply at her wife's sensitive clit, flicking it rapidly with the tip of her tongue. Elsa uttered a strangled cry as her body locked in ecstasy, Honeymaren's strong hands forcing her to lie still as her hips desperately tried to buck in pleasure. The first light of the sun rising on the horizon caught the light sheen of sweat on the queen's body, making her skin sparkle like diamonds as she writhed in the throes of passion.

Honeymaren quickly replaced her tongue with her fingers as she kissed her way up her wife's body, the blonde shuddering in the aftermath of her surprise orgasm. "Maren…" Elsa whimpered, her hands tangling in dark, silken locks as her wife's fingers stroked her in a slow, loving caress. "Shhh, shh, shh," Honeymaren cooed, slipping an arm beneath the queen's head and cradling her close as she brushed her lips against her wife's while the blonde panted beneath her. "Just relax," she whispered against her lips as her fingers dipped lower and slowly slid deep within her wife, grinning when Elsa gasped and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her head tilting back in ecstasy. "Let me take care of you, my goddess. All I want you to do is lie there and enjoy it," she murmured, nuzzling the queen's cheek with her nose as her fingers slowly penetrated her wife over and over again, delighting in the quiet whimpers and moans the leisurely pace was rewarding her with.

Elsa wrapped her arms around her wife's neck and pulled her close, kissing the beautiful Northuldran until she couldn't breathe, or an involuntary cry of pleasure forced her to break away. Honeymaren could have spent the rest of the day in this manner, making slow, sweet love to her beautiful wife, for that was exactly what it was – making love. This moment wasn't driven by the emotion-fueled necessity of their first time together in the forest, or the desperate goodbye of their second just after Honeymaren learned her fate, nor was this the tireless, overjoyed reunion after a month of confusing agony and hell. Last night she had claimed Elsa as her own once and for all - with this dawn, she would show her new wife how deeply she loved and cared for her. Tender kisses and loving whispers let the blonde know Honeymaren cherished her above all else as strong, steady hands made the queen feel protected and cared for.

The slowly building pleasure about to bubble over promised Elsa that the best years of her life were yet to come.

Elsa's hand cupped Honeymaren's cheek, guiding her noaide's gaze to hers while her other hand tangled desperately in dark, silky locks. "M-Maren," she gasped out, trying desperately to keep her eyes open and focused on her wife's beautiful twilight pools as her muscles clenched desperately at the fingers deep within her. "Honeymaren, I love you," she gasped in a strained whisper as her orgasm ripped through her with the force of a tidal wave, trying desperately to maintain eye contact with her noaide. Honeymaren's heart leaped into her throat at the beautiful moment, watching the stars themselves dance across her wife's beautiful eyes as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She pressed her fingers ever deeper within her wife, curling them to firmly massage the oversensitive patch that had Elsa crying out, pulling the fire maven to her and clinging to her desperately as she instantly soared to the heights of heaven once more, her hands grasping tight handfuls of her half-buttoned undershirt. The queen whimpered and gasped her love for her noaide over and over again in her ear, whispering it like a prayer as they moved together in their passionate embrace.

When Elsa finally began to come down, she cupped Honeymaren's face in trembling hands once more, pressing her damp forehead to her wife's and closing her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. "Good morning, wife," Honeymaren murmured playfully, a disbelieving bubble of laughter escaping the blonde. Eyes of the brightest blue opened, the queen's smile more dazzling than the early morning sun shining brightly across the calm ocean waves. "Good morning, indeed," she murmured, leaning up to capture Honeymaren's lips with her own in a soft, tender kiss, moaning quietly when she tasted herself on her wife's tongue. Just then, her hazy brain cleared enough to take in the noaide's half-dressed state and the crumpled, wrinkled areas of the shirt she had so desperately clung to in her passion scant moments ago. "Were you planning on going somewhere, darling?" she asked teasingly, an amused eyebrow raised as she fingered the collar of the shirt.

Honeymaren shrugged and offered the blonde a roguish grin. "Well, I was going to get up and make us some breakfast, but I found something much sweeter to eat," she teased, laughing when the queen gave her a shocked, incredulous look. Crystalline eyes were open wide, unable to believe what had just come out of her wife's mouth and contrasting beautifully with the bright red blush that bloomed across her pale face. Honeymaren shrugged once more, grinning unapologetically at the scandalized queen. "I have no regrets," she said mirthfully, planting playful, teasing kisses along Elsa's bared neck. The spirit of winter laughed breathlessly, wrapping her arms around her wife's neck and drawing her closer to her. "Well," she began teasingly in a sudden bout of confidence, running her fingers through dark tresses and tugging slightly. "Since you've already had your breakfast…" In a sudden flash of movement, Elsa hitched her leg over Honeymaren's hip and rolled, effectively switching their positions and pinning the fire maven beneath her. White-gold tresses formed a beautiful silky curtain around the stunned Northuldran's face as she looked up at what was, for all intents and purposes, her heaven on earth. "I suppose I had better have mine," Elsa finished huskily before nimble fingers undid the barely done buttons of Honeymaren's shirt and full lips trailed across sun-kissed skin.

Honeymaren hissed quietly when full, cool lips lovingly wrapped around a pert nipple, the queen's tongue devotedly bathing the aching bud. The fire maven closed her eyes and bit her lip as she settled back against the softness of the bed with a small smile on her face – she was content to let her wife play. It was not often the blonde sought the dominant position and Honeymaren was more than eager to allow the situation to play out to whatever end the queen wished. Instead, she opened her eyes and slid the fingers of one hand through a waterfall of white-gold tresses, watching with awe as the silken locks flowed between her fingers. Elsa reached up to claim her free hand with her own, entwining their fingers lovingly as Honeymaren watched the queen's long, pale fingers play with her own tan, slightly calloused ones.

Honeymaren had always been fascinated by the contrasts between them, both physically and mentally. The spirit of winter was more petite and delicate than she, the very picture of elegance – soft, supple, innocent, and gentle. Honeymaren was sturdier and more muscular than the blonde - while she was not without her feminine curves by any means, as Elsa was currently raking her fingernails over them possessively, there was no denying the hard cords of muscle twitching beneath the blonde's fingertips that were borne of a lifetime of labor. Despite this, it was Elsa who had the harder metaphorical skin between the two of them, having endured tortures and terrors the even the noaide continued to struggle to fathom. While the noaide was guided by both her own emotions and those she felt around her, the experienced queen's mind was a wonder to behold when it came to working around a problem. She supposed it made sense, considering their upbringings; Honeymaren was literally born to be guided by the existence of emotions and Elsa into a world where her every decision could affect the lives of thousands of people. There was no room for softness when your words were forced to carry such weight – mistakes were made when sentiment became involved. It was no wonder the queen was constantly second-guessing herself when it came to her own thoughts and emotions.

Even now, as the blonde kissed lower and lower across the flat of her stomach, she could feel the anxious indecision in her wife despite her lack of outward insecurity. The fire maven gasped softly, her hips jerking involuntarily when the queen's hesitatingly exploring tongue and lips found a particularly sensitive spot in the valley of her hip. She let out a breathless laugh when the blonde grinned to herself and immediately began lavishing it with loving attention, savoring every twitch and hitched breath from her mistress of fire.

Apparently, passion won out over her queen's anxiety by a landslide.

Suddenly, Honeymaren cried out sharply, her hands flying up to grasp the pillow by her bed when Elsa blew cool air over her sex, immediately following it with her warm tongue. "Elsa…" she panted her name, closing her eyes and gripping the pillow harder as her wife's ridiculously talented tongue began to leisurely explore every inch of her. Nearly every quiet moan ripped from the noaide's throat was wonderfully answered in turn by the passion-hazed blonde, the feel of her wife moaning against her sex driving the fire-maven wild. Twilight eyes watched eagerly as pale hands lovingly caressed her own sun-kissed skin, Elsa's silky hair spilling across her hips and lower belly like molten white-gold shining in the early morning light. When she glimpsed crystalline eyes darkened with desire peeking up at her from beneath long lashes the Northuldran nearly came undone, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood as she instinctively tried to stifle her moans – after all, one could not live in as close-knit a tribe as the Northuldra without conditioning one's self to at least attempt discretion. Another targeted swipe of her wife's tongue had the fire-maven turning her head to bite at the pillow she currently held in a death grip as the coil inside her wound tighter and tighter with the queen's every movement.

Honeymaren's back arched beautifully, heralded by a loud moan when Elsa slid two fingers deep inside of her without warning, twilight eyes flying open wide at the sudden intense pleasure. Without thinking, the Northuldran held the pillow she had crumpled beyond salvation over her face to stifle her cries only to have it ripped away from her seconds later by the panting queen who suddenly appeared above her, immediately throwing it to the side. "Don't," Elsa breathed as she blanketed her wife's body with her own, her free hand brushing dark locks from Honeymaren's face and burying itself in its silky abyss. "Don't hide from me," she whispered, pressing her forehead against her love's as she began to slowly pump her fingers. Elsa closed her eyes and moaned softly when the fire maven's fingers immediately buried themselves in her hair, holding the blonde's head against hers. "Let me hear my wife moan for me."

Elsa curled her fingers experimentally, imitating what she had felt the dark-haired woman do and gasped when her beautiful mistress of fire moaned her name without inhibition, a bolt of white-hot lightning shooting through her body. The queen immediately reached down with her free hand to grab Honeymaren's thigh, forcing it upward to open her wider and pinning it there with her knee before reaching up to grasp her noaide's hand in her own, entwining their fingers and pinning it against the soft bed. She pressed her fingers ever deeper as they began to pick up speed, feverishly increasing their pace to match the rocking of full hips that were now moving beyond the Northuldran's control. The queen opened her eyes to gaze down at her wife's face when she felt the fire maven's muscles flutter around her fingers as Honeymaren's release barreled toward her. Beautiful, heart-shaped features were awash with pleasure, full lips parted to gasp at the cool air while twilight eyes darkened with lust stared up at her, struggling to focus. "Gods, you're so beautiful," Elsa whispered reverently, claiming her lips as Honeymaren's orgasm finally crashed over her. When the dark-haired woman broke the kiss with a wordless cry of pleasure as her body locked in ecstasy, Elsa pressed her lips against her ear and murmured sweet promises of love and devotion while taking in the beautiful sounds only she would ever be privileged enough to hear.

As she came down from her high, Honeymaren reached up to gently brush Elsa's hair behind her ear, smiling up at her beautiful goddess. Both women panted quietly in the afterglow of their passion, staring wordlessly at each other. Elsa brought the hand she held to her lips and began to press slow, tender kisses to each knuckle, closing her eyes as she allowed the immense love she felt in that moment to wash over her like a wave upon the sand, cleansing all of her doubts, fears, and insecurities and leaving her soul fresh and unblemished in its wake. Honeymaren smiled at the swell of love she felt from her wife to match the peaceful smile on her features as the queen continued to lovingly brush her lips against the noaide's hand. "Tell me what you're thinking, Elsa," she said quietly, burying her fingers in white-gold tresses and gently massaging her head with her fingertips. Crystalline eyes opened slowly and stared into her own, the early morning sun sparkling in their endless depths as they regarded Honeymaren with an expression the noaide had seen many times before yet never failed to make the fire maven's heart swell with love and pride.

Honeymaren often caught the queen looking at her in this way, especially since her miraculous return from death. Eyes of the purest blue would simply stare at her in disbelieving wonder, as if the beautiful monarch couldn't fathom how the Northuldran woman existed – like she was every spirit, every god, every wonder to be found in the world wrapped up in a single being that couldn't possibly be real…yet there she was before her. "I couldn't even begin to explain it, my love," Elsa whispered quietly, her other hand coming up to brush the back of her fingers against a sun-kissed cheek before cupping it lovingly. Honeymaren smiled up at her, a playful twinkle in her eyes as she turned her head to press a kiss into her palm before turning back to her. "How about you try explaining how your tongue became so talented, you minx," she teased, leaning up slightly to capture the queen's lips with her own in a short, teasing kiss. Elsa smiled, despite the blush that immediately crept into her cheeks before it suddenly turned to a disapproving frown as a thought crossed her mind. "Maybe after you explain what you were doing trying to suffocate yourself under a pillow," she countered. Honeymaren laughed, earning her an annoyed glare from her new wife, the blonde reaching for the offending pillow in question and gently smacking her in the face with it, which only made her laugh harder.

"Hey, it's a compliment, I swear!" Honeymaren chuckled after snatching the pillow back and sitting up just enough to prop it beneath her head. She wrapped her arms around the queen and gently rolled to the side, cradling the winter spirit in her arms and holding her close in a loving embrace. "Snowflake, do you remember our first night together?" she asked, reaching down to pull the skewed blankets up and partially over herself and the queen, just high enough to cocoon them in their soft warmth. Elsa smiled and sighed contentedly as her wife tucked the blanket around her, easily settling into the knight's protective embrace as she nodded. "Yes – I distinctly remember you going out of your way to make it impossible for me to be quiet, you hypocrite," she said with a playful glare, poking her love in the ribs gently. Honeymaren laughed, squirming away from her prodding finger before she reached down to capture her hand with her own, guiding it upward to place it on her shoulder before pulling Elsa flush against her. The queen smiled and began to play with a lock of her wife's hair, placated by a warm palm running soothingly up and down her bare back.

"Yes, but remember that I didn't do that until I asked you to create the snow lining around our lavvo, darling," she began again once she was sure her wife was contently settled. "I did not grow up with the ability to create sound-muffling shields. While the Northuldra have little shame and few taboos concerning love and personal pleasure, one is still expected to be discreet, you know," she explained with a smirk. "Silencing one's moans of ecstasy is a hard habit to break." Elsa frowned suddenly as a thought crossed her mind. "Oh," she responded quietly. "You've had to be…discreet before?" she asked haltingly, averting her eyes to the silky tresses her fingers were idly playing with. "...What was her name?" Though she tried to be causal, the tone of Elsa's voice was anything but and Honeymaren couldn't stop the smirk creeping across her face as the queen pouted glumly in her arms. Honeymaren could see the wheels spinning in the blonde's incredible mind as she went through a mental checklist of the women in the Northuldra tribe, searching her memories for any overly friendly interactions she may have witnessed.

"You're actually quite familiar with her," Honeymaren teased, biting her lip to keep her grin from becoming too obvious when felt Elsa tense at the admission of a 'she'. "I am?" Elsa asked, the hand playing with her hair stilling in concentration as the queen went through the checklist in her mind's eye again with a more jealous gaze. Honeymaren nodded sagely. "You're quite fond of her, or so I thought," she teased, pulling Elsa closer and peppering loving kisses across her pouting face. The queen made a 'hmph' sound and snuggled closer to her love, tightening her hold possessively. "Not anymore, I'm not," she mumbled against her wife's warm, sun-kissed skin, unable to help the small smile that grew on her face as laughter rumbled through Honeymaren's chest. "Married for a day and my wife is already no longer fond of me. I can't keep up with the fast-flying romances of the civilized world," she teased dramatically, laughing again when crystalline eyes snapped up to look at her in confusion. "What? What are you-" the queen began, but immediately halted as realization dawned in their beautiful depths, heralded by the impossibly bright blush that flooded pale cheeks. "O-Oh," she stuttered out. "You were…a-alone when you were…oh…" Images of the dark-haired beauty pleasuring herself in the middle of the night, perfect white teeth biting passionately at a full bottom lip as she tried to quiet her moans assaulted the blonde's mind, crystalline eyes becoming unfocused as she lost herself in her fantasies.

Honeymaren couldn't help herself and began to laugh openly at the expression on her wife's face, earning her an annoyed glare from the blonde which only made her laugh harder. Elsa immediately turned over in her wife's embrace, pointedly facing away from her with a pout. Honeymaren stifled her laughter as best she could and wrapped her arms around the miffed queen, pulling her close against her and spooning around her. "I'm sorry, sweet spirit," she murmured in the blonde's ear. "I couldn't resist – you were too adorable," she explained, smirking when her only answer from her normally dignified wife was a derisive snort. The Northuldran's smirk turned into a sly grin as she ever so slowly ran one warm palm across the winter spirit's chest and down the flat of her stomach. "Besides," she whispered huskily in Elsa's ear as her hand continued its unhurried path. "What in this world could these hands possibly touch that is more exquisite than you?" she asked as her hand traced the curve of the queen's waist and the flare of her full hips, eliciting a shaky breath from her wife. Earlier annoyance forgotten, Elsa chuckled breathlessly. "You, apparently," she teased, turning her head to grin at her wife before reaching down and catching Honeymaren's wandering hand in her own, entwining their fingers and bringing them up to her lips to kiss it gently. Honeymaren smiled and pulled Elsa close to her, nuzzling her gently. "I know I don't have to say this, but I'm going to anyway," she murmured as she peppered soft kisses across the queen's bare shoulder. "There never was, nor will there ever be anyone but you, Snowflake. My soul will have no other, in this or any other life. I belong to you, Elsa. I always have…and I always will." The queen turned once more in their embrace to smile at her wife adoringly, brushing a few dark tresses back from sincere twilight pools before cupping her cheek, caressing it tenderly with her thumb. "I know," she whispered lovingly, staring meaningfully into the fire maven's eyes.

In those two quiet words, the deepest desire of Honeymaren's soul had come to fruition and the noaide's heart swelled at the quiet ease in which they were spoken. Their calm simplicity and unassuming purity brought with them a sense of accomplishment and peace that washed over her at the honest truth in them and the emotions she felt from her queen in that moment.

She knew.

Finally…she knew.

She accepted the truth of their love – that she was loved. Deeply, endlessly, unconditionally, and, most importantly, that she was deserving of all of it. The fear of being so close to someone only to lose them to fate's cruelty was gone from the blonde's heart. Honeymaren had walked through the flames of hell for Elsa and had emerged as their master so that she may return to the spirit of winter. Finally, the lonely queen of ice and snow believed it was real – finally, she believed there was no rug for fate to pull out from beneath her.

Finally, she believed she was safe…and that a life worth living had begun.

The fire maven's breath hitched - she opened her mouth to say something, anything, but quickly closed it again with a quiet, breathless laugh of disbelief as she brought her hand up to cover the one on her cheek. Even if she could trust her voice to speak without faltering, the words to explain her heart weren't forthcoming. There was relief, pride, and a great deal of love, to be sure, yet there was something so much more – a sense of completeness too holy to describe, too perfect to be spoken.

And so, she wouldn't say anything.

Instead, she would revel in the perfection of this moment as she pulled the Queen of Arendelle, the Fifth Spirit, and the goddess of her heart as close as possible and kissed her with all the love and passion she could muster, eliciting a quiet, passionate gasp from the blonde who eagerly responded in kind. In this perfect kiss, Honeymaren whispered to her love the deepest promises of her heart in the best way she knew how, running her fingers through the silken waterfall of Elsa's hair as she kissed her so deeply and so slowly, time itself seemed to bend to their tender moment.

The rest of the world could wait while the mistress of fire worshipped her goddess of ice and snow.

After a long moment, Elsa was forced to pull away as she shakily gasped for air, a delicious shiver running down her spine. "By the Gods, how do you do that?" she murmured with a breathless laugh, burying her face against her love. "My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest." Honeymaren chuckled and peppered the blonde's head with soft, adoring kisses. "Then you've had a mere taste of what you do to me every day, my goddess," she replied mirthfully, grinning when she felt the queen's smile against the bare skin of her chest. "Flirt," Elsa accused. The queen stiffened in her arms when a sudden rumbling noise sounded from seemingly nowhere, cutting off Honeymaren's reply. The Northuldran pulled back slightly to look down at the deeply blushing blonde, crystalline eyes sneaking a sheepish glance up at her through long, dark lashes. Honeymaren smirked and ran a warm palm up and down the line of the beautiful queen's curves soothingly, nuzzling her cheek playfully with her nose. "Hmmm…that sounds like a bit of a problem," Honeymaren teased gently. "Why don't I try out that whole 'making you breakfast' idea again?" she suggested with a loving smile, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips before rising from the bed and stretching. "But this time, perhaps you should go to the bathroom and wash up before you distract me again with your beauty," she finished with a wink as she began buttoning up her breezy white shirt once more.

Elsa smiled lovingly and nodded, pulling the covers up with her as she sat up in bed. She sat there for a long moment as Honeymaren buttoned up her shirt, appearing to be distracted by something. The fire maven raised a curious eyebrow at the distant, hungry look on her wife's face as crystalline eyes stared at her unblinkingly, raking slowly up and down her half-dressed form. "Something wrong, Snowflake?" she asked with a smirk, running her fingers through her hair and beginning the process of weaving her long tresses into a thick braid. Her smirk grew as color suddenly filled the queen's pale cheeks, fanning across her face like wildfire before she shook her head adamantly and began an awkward process of trying to climb out of their bed while wrapping a blanket around herself in an effort to maintain modesty. When Elsa looked up to find twilight eyes still looking at her with equal parts of curiosity, hunger, and mirth, the blush filling her cheeks deepened. A small frown of embarrassment tugged at her lips as she looked at the fire maven expectantly. When Honeymaren's only response was to raise an eyebrow in askance, Elsa sighed in embarrassment, raising a hand and twirling her index finger in a circle to indicate she should turn around. Honeymaren's dark brows shot into her hairline in disbelief, the fire maven looking around her searchingly before pointing to herself. "You're telling me to turn around?" she asked incredulously. "Me. Your wife," Honeymaren tried again in a deadpanned voice when Elsa didn't budge, the red in the queen's face now setting the tips of her ears aflame despite her stubborn refusal to move any further with the Northuldran's eyes on her.

Honeymaren's brow furrowed as an unexpected battle began to flare to life within her, urges that were becoming stronger and increasingly familiar beginning to rise. A sudden wave of possessiveness flared within the fire maven, her fingers twitching with the urge to rip away the offending blankets that dared to conceal what belonged to her. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to take the beautiful queen then and there, to mark the hidden perfection that was her wife's body over and over again with her teeth and tongue, claiming what was rightfully hers. Before she knew it and almost by no choice of her own, her feet had carried her back across the room until she was standing only inches from the blonde, one arm reaching over her wife to lean heavily against the bedpost, boxing the queen in. The fire maven forced herself to pull back ever so slightly as she tried to reign in her sudden surge of possessive passion. While it was no secret that Elsa loved it when she took control, she needed to keep herself in check to be sure she didn't cross a line – the last thing she ever wanted to do was make the queen uncomfortable or nervous. Her fingers twitched eagerly again, however, when she saw crystalline eyes dilate and darken at her sudden intensity. Not with nervousness, as she had worried, but with something far more enticing - arousal, excitement, anticipation…

Desire.

The fire maven's lips curled into a slow smirk that the queen couldn't help but find ridiculously sexy, her throat going dry when twilight eyes, far darker than they were moments ago slowly raked up and down her state of undress. "You do realize that there is nothing beneath that blanket that I haven't already seen…or touched…" Honeymaren murmured lowly, leaning forward to place a single slow, open-mouthed kiss to the junction of her neck and her shoulder. "Kissed…" she continued, her lips brushing slowly up Elsa's neck and placing another languid kiss there before moving further up, the blonde's breath quickening. "Claimed…" she whispered huskily in her ear before sucking sharply at the queen's sensitive pulse point, feeling her wife's heart beat wildly beneath her tongue as she gasped sharply. Elsa whimpered submissively under her wife's touch, ready to rip away her protective covering herself and beg the Northuldran to remind her of all the places her talented lips had claimed when the noaide pulled away. Honeymaren nipped teasingly at the queen's lips, still parted in her gasp for air, as she moved back, the Northuldran's sexy smirk still in place on wonderfully full lips as they brushed against Elsa's. "But, if you insist on keeping your modesty, I will respect my wife's choices," she nearly purred, pushing off of the bedpost and away from the queen just as the blonde leaned forward to try to elicit more contact from the retreating fire maven, crystalline eyes opening in dazed confusion and blinking rapidly.

"Take your time getting washed up, darling. Breakfast will be ready when you are," Honeymaren called over her shoulder with a small wave as she sauntered slowly away to the walk-in closet to finish dressing, Elsa's flabbergasted, hungry gaze locked on full, swaying hips all the way. When Honeymaren disappeared in the dressing room, the frazzled queen ran a free hand through her hair, her mind, body, and libido trying to process what the hell had just happened. She couldn't help but laugh to herself as the simple answer struck her.

Her wife happened.

Elsa looked down at her hands gripping the blanket, biting her lip as a giddy smile came to her face. She took a quick breath before pointedly tossing the blanket back onto the bed and making her way to the large bathroom, naked as the day she was born and all misplaced pressures of modesty gone. As she quickly washed up, eager to return to her wife and with the last delectable image of the half-dressed Northuldran in her mind, one thought was stuck on repeat:

Anna was right about how impossibly sexy a simple white shirt could be.

A little more than a half-hour later, Elsa emerged from the bathroom with a soft towel wrapped snugly around her and running a brush through her damp white-gold tresses. She inhaled deeply as the smell of freshly cooked eggs and meat reached her on her way to the dressing room, the delicious aromas wafting through the small estate. An odd kind of nostalgia hit her as she entered the dressing room, the smell of fresh cooking reminding her of the happy times the royal family had spent, but different somehow. It felt more…complete now, knowing that her wife was likely in the kitchen waiting for her.

Elsa paused, that thought sending a sudden thrill running through her and setting her heart aflutter as a dazzling smile grew on her face.

Her wife.

She shook her head at herself, a small laugh escaping her at her lovestruck antics when she noticed a package wrapped in unassuming brown paper sitting next to Honeymaren's trunk, a piece of parchment laying open atop of it. The queen's heartbeat quickened a bit, remembering the promised gift from the Duchess de Chagny Anna had mentioned with a slight trepidation. The redhead had hinted it may have been a bit of an unconventional gift and it wasn't exactly a stretch to imagine the nature of a gift that was specifically meant to be opened during the privacy of their honeymoon. Elsa reached out gingerly to pick up the letter, pale brows furrowing as crystalline eyes scanned the Duchess's neat script before frowning slightly and folding the letter up once more, returning it to its home atop the package as the French noble's words spun around her head.

'…I'm sure your lovely new bride will need some time to warm up to the idea.'

'If ever there were someone that could make your sweet queen feel comfortable and safe enough to allow herself such pleasures…'

'Anna tried to get me to include a bottle of akvavit with this gift – 'liquid courage for Elsa', she called it…'

Elsa sighed softly, running her fingers through her damp hair. While the Duchess's words were sweet and encouraging, they brought to light the truth of the queen's timidity in the affairs of the heart and the passions of pleasure. With another soft sigh, this one of quiet resignation, the blonde turned away toward her own trunk before pausing upon catching a glimpse of herself in the same mirror she had contemplated herself in the night before. Elsa slowly made her way over to her reflection, arctic eyes locked on a series of dark red marks concentrated on her neck and shoulders. Several more were scattered across her body, creating a map to the queen's every pleasure. Slender, pale fingers reached up to lightly brush across the love bites – evidence of their passion-filled night and morning. A delicate blush along with a slow, happy smile began to spread across her beautiful features as she lovingly traced the small bruises that served to mark her as the fire maven's bride.

"I'm not afraid anymore," she whispered to herself, her smile growing determined and reassured as she met her own gaze confidently in the mirror. The nervous, uncertain Elsa that was afraid of loving and being loved was gone – in her place stood a more self-assured, vivacious, and, dare she say, more beautiful version of herself, bolstered by the unwavering devotion of the enchanting mistress of fire and the indomitable love they shared. Without a second thought, Elsa turned and walked back to Honeymaren's trunk, rifling through it for a brief moment before pulling out another flowing white undershirt and donning it quickly. Twin chips of ice scanned her reflection approvingly, a small, rebellious smile coming to her lips as she made the decision to forego underwear as well. She would show the Duchess, her sister, and the world that she was no longer afraid of the passion she had kept hidden for so long.

Most importantly, she would show herself.

When she turned to close her wife's trunk, she spied a crystal bottle of honey-brown liquid next to it – no doubt the fine cognac the Duchess had promised. The queen contemplated it for a moment before picking it up and uncorking it, lifting it to her lips and taking a delicate sip. She hummed approvingly at the spiced aftertaste as the warmth slowly spread throughout her body before taking another, deeper sip.

It tasted like victory.

She set the bottle down gently and padded quietly out of the bedroom toward the kitchen, her mouth watering slightly as she came ever closer to the source of the delicious aromas from earlier. The queen smiled lovingly as the soft sound of singing reached her ears just as she turned the corner to find the Northuldran, now donning a pair of tan breeches that stopped just below the knee, sitting at a small table cutting thick slabs from what appeared to be a fresh loaf of bread, her back turned to the queen as she sang a Northuldran song quietly to herself as she worked. Elsa leaned against the door frame and simply watched the beautifully domestic sight in front of her, resting her head contentedly against the worn wood as her wife's smooth alto worked its soothing magic on the queen.

Finally, Elsa could stand the distance from her siren no longer and approached the dark-haired beauty quietly. "My goddess approaches," Honeymaren quipped when Elsa was only a few feet from her; though she didn't turn around, the warm smile that surely tugged at full lips clear in her voice. Elsa chuckled quietly, leaning down to wrap her arms around her wife's neck from behind and nuzzling her cheek gently with her nose before placing a soft, sweet kiss upon it. "How did you know I was here?" she asked, turning her head to meet the smiling face of her love. Honeymaren simply chuckled, one of her hands coming up to rest on Elsa's arms as she leaned into her bride's embrace. "I can always feel when you're near me, sweet spirit," she answered quietly, squeezing the queen's arm slightly before giving it a gentle pat. "Now, let's get something in your stomach before it yells at me again," she finished playfully, patting the space on the bench next to her.

The queen adapted a casual air of nonchalance as she turned to sit next to her wife, resting her elbows on the table and leaning back against it, daintily crossing her bare legs at the knee so the edges of Honeymaren's shirt stopped just shy of mid-thigh. Elsa bit her lip hard to keep from smiling too wide when the noaide's casual glance to the side turned into a comic, wide-eyed doubletake as her brain processed her beautiful wife's state of dress or lack thereof. The blonde had left the top several buttons of the shirt undone, revealing an ample amount of cleavage that Honeymaren had no hope of disregarding.

She was only human, after all.

The Northuldran imagined immediately slipping one hand beneath the billowing shirt and cupping the queen's sex, the other burying itself in sweet-smelling white-gold tresses and yanking the blonde to her to crash her lips against hers, greedily swallowing her moans. She saw herself standing and sweeping her arm across the table, clearing food and dishes alike in one fell swoop before taking Elsa's hand and pulling her to her feet, only to swiftly turn her around and bend her over the table. The winter spirit would surely gasp in surprise, only for it to turn into a passionate, breathy moan when the Northuldran slid her fingers deep inside of the queen. It would be music to her ears as she leaned over her wife to be closer to that beautiful sound as she thrust her fingers –

"Maren?"

Honeymaren blinked rapidly to try to clear the sudden haze in her mind, dark twilight eyes snapping from her wife's ample cleavage to crystalline pools sparkling with laughter, the corners of the queen's mouth twitching upward as she tried to hold back a bright smile. "…huh?" came the normally eloquent Northuldran's less than intelligent response. Elsa flashed Honeymaren a beautiful, dazzling smile that stopped the noaide's heart mid-beat, more than thrilled with the result of her confident choice and her new wife's reaction to her, unable to contain her amusement any longer. She leaned in close and pressed a slow, sensual kiss to the corner of her wife's mouth, biting her lip teasingly as she pulled away. "Thank you for breakfast, my love," she murmured before bringing her lips right next to Honeymaren's ear. "Both of them," she whispered, placing a quick kiss to her cheek before standing to take a less…distracting seat on the other side of the table, though she couldn't help the thrill that ran through her as she felt the fire maven's eyes lock on the natural sway of her full hips.

Elsa reached out and took a small slice of buttered bread, topping it with a piece of smoked ham and cheese and nibbling on it delicately while she allowed her wife time to collect herself. Pale brows furrowed ever so slightly as she observed her flustered wife, the now late-morning sun highlighting an interesting fact she had not been in the state of mind to take note of until now.

Honeymaren's eyes had not yet gone back to their normal, milk chocolate color.

She chewed thoughtfully as she pondered what that could mean. Perhaps she was wrong about her theory of her wife's possessive passion being the catalyst to the change? She had been so sure – every time she had seen the admittedly enchanting twilight color further bleed into the soft chocolate, it had been preceded by a moment of passionate, often sexual, tension. The queen had been certain that a night of passionate lovemaking would have seen her wife's eyes return to their natural color, but she was obviously wrong as she watched twilight pools pointedly attempting, and adorably failing, to avoid her chest. Perhaps her body had simply grown accustomed to her new powers and her eyes would remain this way?

Or perhaps the fire maven's ravenous appetite for the spirit of winter had simply not yet been whet, she thought with a smirk.

Honeymaren cleared her throat, shaking her head a bit to shake off the incredibly realistic fantasy that had consumed her before resuming her task of slicing the loaf of bread, having already taken care of the smoked ham and block of cheese she had found. "What would you like to do today, baby?" she asked after she was done, setting her knife down and going about arranging a hearty breakfast for herself. She scooped some of the freshly cooked scrambled eggs she had made along with thick chunks of ham and cheese, digging in eagerly while the queen simply smiled at her exuberance and continued to take small bites of her own breakfast. "I would love to take you down to the beach. It's one of the few stretches of coast in the area that doesn't have a completely rocky shore," she answered with a smile, setting her half-eaten slice of bread, ham, and cheese on a plate to regard her wife.

Honeymaren smirked as she chewed, twilight eyes flicking down appreciatively to the blonde's chest before meeting arctic blue pools that twinkled with amusement. "Then I suppose I should enjoy your current outfit now while I can if we are to venture out into the world, hm?" she teased. Elsa bit her lip, a sly smile coming to her face as she stood, half-eaten meal forgotten as she slowly made her way around the table toward Honeymaren. "You approve, then?" she teased, her smile widening when the noaide turned in her seat, swinging her legs over the other side as her beautiful bride made her way over to her. "The word 'approve' doesn't come anywhere close to how I feel about it," she replied with a grin, reaching out to put her hands on the queen's full hips and pulling her close. Much to the dark-haired beauty's surprise, Elsa smiled seductively and placed her hands on either side of her wife's neck before straddling the fire maven, slowly lowering herself onto her lap in an unprecedented show of confidence. "Shall I stay like this all day for you? Would that please you, wife?" Elsa asked teasingly as she leaned into Honeymaren, slender fingers toying with the baby soft hair at the nape of the stunned woman's neck.

"You have no idea…" Honeymaren murmured almost absently, transfixed by the beautiful spirit in front of her. The fire maven placed warm palms on the bare, creamy skin of Elsa's thighs, marveling at its smooth perfection as they glided slowly upward, tan fingers disappearing beneath the billowing white shirt. She closed her eyes, biting her lip and groaning when they continued upward to trace the hourglass flare of the queen's full hips as she discovered her minx of a wife wore no underwear when they found no obstruction. "Holy shit," she growled out, her fingers digging into the winter spirit's hips and pulling her as close as possible, eliciting a quiet gasp and a breathless laugh from the queen. "Language, darling," she whispered – or tried to, before she was silenced by full lips crashing roughly against hers as strong arms pulled her flush against the Northuldran, warm palms sliding beneath her shirt and around her trim waist.

Elsa pulled away with a gasp for air, her body instinctively arching against her wife as she grinned down at her, running her fingers through thick, dark tresses. "If we are not careful, we are never going to make it out of this house," Elsa teased with a breathless laugh. "If I had my way, there would be a lot of broken furniture and you wouldn't be able to walk right for weeks," Honeymaren answered with a low growl, dragging her fingernails across the sensitive skin of the queen's lower back. "But, you're right – I would love to explore with you, and I do miss the fresh air," she admitted, quite excited to experience a sandy beach for the first time in her life. Elsa smile warmly and placed a sweet kiss on her wife's forehead before sliding off of her lap, her smile growing at the slight pout on her heart-shaped features. "I will signal the staff to let them know they can freshen up," she said as she padded across the floor to the counter, searching through drawers until she found some blank parchment and an ink pen. "Is there anything you noticed that we needed? Or anything you would like for dinner?" she asked as she began to write out a note to the housekeepers explaining they would be down at the beach for the rest of the afternoon and detailing what was to be done.

"Besides you?" Honeymaren quipped playfully, smirking as she stood and began to clear their plates. "I don't believe so. Sugar Rush thought of everything – I even found a chocolate cake." The noaide's smirk turned into a full-on grin when she saw Elsa's hand pause in its movements briefly, crystalline eyes flicking about the room searchingly for a moment. When Honeymaren pointed to a particular cupboard that no doubt held the delectable treat, the queen blushed brightly at having been caught in her eagerness before going back to her note. The fire maven chuckled before she returned to her task, a small frown tugging at her lips when she reached over to collect Elsa's plate and found her already small slice of bread, ham, and cheese only half-eaten.

Honeymaren set the empty dishes aside on the counter, leaving Elsa's on the table where it was. She brushed off her hands before walking over to the queen, still writing out her note to the housekeepers. Elsa gave a short yelp of surprise when Honeymaren suddenly scooped her into her arms, instinctively dropping the pen in favor of quickly wrapping her arms around her wife's neck to steady herself as she was carried back to the kitchen table. "Maren! What in the world are you—" she began to ask before she was set gently down in her previous seat once more, her half-finished meal on the otherwise completely empty table and her wife's displeased expression sending an obvious message. She instinctively opened her mouth to argue that she was content, but, much to Honeymaren's pleasant surprise, thought better of it and gave the fire maven a small, lovingly exasperated smile before lifting the bread to her lips and pointedly taking a bite. The dark-haired woman smiled lovingly, leaning down to place a slow, tender kiss to her cheek. "Thank you, baby," she murmured quietly, kissing her once more before she left to retrieve the fallen pen and the half-finished note, bringing both back to the table and finishing the letter herself while Elsa quietly finished her breakfast.

At Honeymaren's insistence, they quickly packed a picnic lunch, complete with a blanket and a fluffy pillow to enjoy at the beach before finally making their way from the estate, the queen sending a quick burst of magic into the air to signal the keepers of the estate that they were free to enter. Elsa took Honeymaren's hand and led her down a long, winding path of soft, white sand through increasingly sparse foliage and up a steep hill that eventually opened up to a magnificent view of the beach. "Wow," the fire maven breathed as she took in the full view of the beach in all its majesty. She had been told stories all her life about places such as this - yet another experience the mists had stolen from the younger members of the Northuldra tribe. Clear, dark blue water stretched as far as the eye could see, mountain peaks endlessly dotting the horizon on either side of them. Honeymaren could instantly see why Elsa was not overly concerned about her lack of proper dress - the small stretch of beach was more like a secluded alcove and entirely cut off from the rest of the world by steep cliffs on either side. She turned in a full circle to try to get her bearings for the first time since coming here in the light of day, finding that the small estate and the road they had taken to get here were the only signs of civilization to be found. It even appeared that the direct path from the house they had taken was the only way to reach the beach area on foot without hiking over steep cliffs or swimming what looked to be a great distance around the protruding cliffs, and Honeymaren couldn't help but be thrilled at how truly little interaction with other people they were likely to have while they were here.

Though she dealt with it well, having been forced to perfect her above-average social skills, being around people continuously was understandably exhausting for the noaide. The constant influx of emotions she couldn't help but feel from those around her could easily drain even the stoic Northuldran's strength if she weren't careful and cognizant of her mental state at all times. The goddess of winter was a soothing balm to Honeymaren's soul, a light to follow when storms of emotions that didn't belong to her tried to make her lose her way. Now that she had experienced the bliss of what it was to be well and truly alone with her beautiful wife, she wasn't sure how she was going to manage to give it up when they were forced back to reality. In the meantime, she had every intention of stretching out their time here for as long as possible. Anna's words of 'at least a month' left a lot of gray area the lovestruck Northuldran was more than willing to take advantage of.

"She didn't…" Elsa breathed in disbelief, a sudden wave of excitement coming over the queen as she joyfully began to run down the sandy hill, leaving Honeymaren to blink in surprise and hurry to catch up to her, picnic basket in one hand, pillow and blanket under her other arm. She caught up to the exuberant blonde just as she had made it to a shady spot underneath a cluster of trees where the forest met the beach at the bottom of the hill they had climbed. Tied between two of the sturdiest of them was a large, incredibly inviting looking hammock swinging gently in the salty breeze. It was this delightful surprise that had the normally calm and collected queen grinning in excitement, a fond nostalgia in her eyes as her mind was swept away in happy memories. "When Anna and I were little, our parents would lay here with each other and watch as we collected shells and played in the water. At the end of the day, all four of us would somehow crowd on this hammock and watch the sunset, just spending time together and waiting to catch a glimpse of whales or dolphins," she explained as she lovingly ran her fingers down the ropes securing the hammock to the trees. "Anna must have had the housekeepers tie it up for us," she finished wistfully.

Honeymaren smiled warmly at the tender story, pointedly putting their pillow and blanket in its rightful place on one end of the large hammock. "Then that's definitely on our checklist for the day," she said lovingly. "But in the meantime…" she drawled out, her adoring smile turning sly and mischievous. Without warning, Honeymaren dropped their picnic basket and bent over, scooping the blonde queen over her shoulder and laughing when she yelped in surprise and delight as the dark-haired woman took off toward the beach. "Honeymaren Nattura, don't you dare!" Elsa threatened as they neared the surf, squirming in her wife's grip. The clear laughter in her voice took any bite from the threat, however, even as she yelled her name when the fire maven ran right into the waves with her. When the water was about waist-high, Honeymaren shifted her hold on her wife to cradle her against her bridal style, grinning when Elsa wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. "I swear to the Gods, noaide-" she began, but knew instantly her threats would do her no good once she saw the Cheshire grin on the fire maven's face...just before she fell backward with the shrieking spirit of winter in her arms, dropping both of them into the shallow water.

Honeymaren laughed openly at the dripping, scandalized looking queen as she let out a sputtering gasp of disbelief, sweeping her wet own wet bangs out of her face. When Elsa did the same in order to glare at the noaide, Honeymaren simply shrugged, leaning back against her hands in the shallow water that now came up to her shoulders as she laid in the sand. "I have no regrets," she teased, the queen's glare turning into a sly smirk. "Not yet," she nearly purred before reaching under the water to find one of Honeymaren's legs, giving it a hard yank and pulling the dark-haired woman off-balance, causing her to fall back into the water. When the Northuldran resurfaced again, sputtering for air, it was the goddess of winter's turn to laugh, though the fire maven chuckled good-naturedly at the cunning move. Honeymaren smiled adoringly at her wife as the blonde glided over to her in the water, situating herself in the dark-haired beauty's lap and wrapping her arms around her neck as she stared lovingly into twilight eyed. "No regrets," she parroted in a sweet whisper, eliciting a smile more dazzling than the sun itself from the Northuldran. "Not a damn one," Honeymaren murmured back before burying her fingers in Elsa's hair and pulling her in for a deep, loving kiss as the shallow waves gently rolled in around them.

The pair of spirits played around in the water for a while longer before deciding to try their hand at what Elsa insisted was a rite of passage for visiting a sandy beach - building a sandcastle. While Honeymaren was intrigued by the idea, she was more thankful for her magical wife's ability to dry them after discovering she was not a fan of the sensation of sand sticking to her wet skin. This relief, however, was a double-edged sword as she was quite disappointed to no longer see the same enchanting woman in a wet, tantalizingly see-through shirt. There was something about the queen's delicious choice of apparel, or lack thereof, that exuded a beautiful innocence while somehow being one of the most erotic images the Northuldran had ever laid eyes on, even after seeing her bride in lingerie. The sight drove her mad with the desire to claim and possess the exquisite beauty while somehow stoking the fires of protection within her, making it nearly impossible to allow the queen to be without her embrace. It had discombobulated the normally astute noaide to the point of speechlessness - something that only the Queen of Arendelle had ever been able to accomplish.

Well...that and her complete lack of talent for sand sculptures, apparently. She had no words to explain her surprise or disappointment in that fact.

Despite her lifetime of experience in building homes, tools, and enclosures for her tribe, the Northuldran found herself horribly out of her element when it came to sand construction. Even her artistic and steady hand when it came to woodworking failed her miserably with the overly pliable, crumbly substance. Her wife, however, possessing a keen architectural mind the fire maven was now certain had no rival, was on the complete opposite end of the talent spectrum. In fact, she was pretty sure Elsa had sculpted dedicated halls and wings to her ever-growing structure, eliciting random grumbles of "show-off" as well as muttered curses at her own misshapen sculpture. To her credit, the blonde made a point to not call any attention to her wife's misshapen lump of sand, though she couldn't help the adoring smile that pulled at her lips when the fire maven's perfectionist attitude finally dissipated, allowing her to get over her disappointment in her lack of skill and simply enjoy playing. The queen giggled quietly as she watched her love happily pluck a half-buried leaf from the sand nearby and plant it in what she believed was supposed to be the tower of her castle.

Twilight eyes peered curiously at the queen when Elsa began to dig a ring several inches wide and deep around her castle. "What're you doing, baby?" Honeymaren asked, tilting her head to the side as she watched her wife work. "I'm building a moat," Elsa explained, as though it was the most logical thing in the world. "One can hardly call it a castle without some kind of water feature," she finished with a sage nod. Honeymaren raised an eyebrow in contemplation for a moment, looking down at her own sad-looking castle before an idea sparked in her mind. With a sly grin, the fire maven reached around and began to scoop the other side of Elsa's sand ring, continuing its path until it surrounded her own castle as well to create one large moat around both structures. Elsa blinked in surprise before arching a single, elegant brow, crystalline eyes narrowing in suspicion when they meet laughing twilight pools.

"…what are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. Moat completed, Honeymaren brushed her hands together to rid them of excess sand. "Isn't it obvious? I've invaded your country. Your castle now belongs to the great and powerful kingdom of Nattura," she stated matter-of-factly. Elsa blinked several times in a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. "Wha…kingdom of Nat-…you can't just take my country!" she sputtered with an incredulous laugh.

"Do you have a flag?"

Elsa blinked once more, thrown off by the seemingly random question. "…what?!" she asked with a confused laugh. "Do...you have...a flag?" Honeymaren asked again, punctuating the words slowly while she gestured to her leaf, the tip proudly fluttering in the salty breeze. "…no," Elsa answered finally in a deadpanned voice, despite the smirk on her face. The fire maven held her hands up in a helpless gesture. "No flag, no country – can't have one. That's the rule," she explained with a nonchalant shrug before crossing her arms over her chest. Elsa's smirk grew wider at her wife's playfulness before turning mischievous, her arctic gaze flicking between challenging twilight pools and her "flag". With slow, deliberate purpose, Elsa reached out with a pale hand and flicked the leaf away with her finger, sending the dried foliage flying as she raised a defiant eyebrow at her wife.

Honeymaren stared at her leafless tower for a moment before ever so slowly lifting her gaze to meet the amused crystalline eyes of her wife – eyes that immediately widened when she saw a dangerous look full of promised retribution in the twilight pools she loved so much. Elsa gave a small shriek of delighted surprise when the noaide lunged toward her playfully, just barely eluding the dark-haired woman when she reached out with one hand to try to snag the queen. The monarch immediately scrambled away, barely making it to her feet in the shifting sand and dancing away, her joyful laughter echoing across the beach as her wife reached for her again before scrambling to her own feet, hot on her trail. The blonde made it about twenty yards down the beach before she was suddenly lifted into the air, her wife's strong, loving arms easily scooping up the laughing spirit bridal style and pulling her close, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Try to run from me, will you?" Honeymaren teased playfully as she cuddled the giggling woman against her, content to simply hold her close. The blonde's smile was brighter than the early summer sun as she nuzzled up against her wife and tried to catch her breath. "In my defense…you did invade my country," she retorted. Honeymaren laughed, gently setting the queen on her feet so she could wrap her arms around her properly, lacing her fingers through a waterfall of molten white-gold. "You're damn right, I did," she murmured with a smirk before pulling Elsa close and kissing her passionately, the hand buried in her hair pulling the beautiful queen ever closer and deepening the kiss. Elsa's arms instinctively wrapped around her wife's neck, whimpering quietly at the sudden rush of emotions as she returned the kiss with everything she had and happily slipped into her own little world with her beloved noaide.

It took several blissful minutes for Honeymaren to manage to pry her lips away from Elsa, pressing her forehead against hers and closing her eyes with a contented sigh as she simply soaked in the closeness of her beloved goddess. "By the spirits, if I didn't feel you in my arms right now I could swear I'm dreaming," she murmured quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips as she took a slow breath to calm the pounding heart that raced only for her beautiful queen. "I can't believe you're my wife…" Elsa bit her bottom lip, trying to keep her elated smile from turning into a full-on grin and melting against her love as the noaide pulled her possessively closer. Elsa's heart had never felt lighter, nor her soul more free than it did in that moment. "Not possible," she whispered back, pushing against her forehead playfully before pulling back enough to peer into twilight pools. "You're beyond even my wildest of dreams, my love." Honeymaren grinned, placing a sweet, soft kiss upon Elsa's lips before taking her hand and leading her back to the hammock and their waiting lunch. "Now who's the flirt?" she teased as they walked into the shady area, Honeymaren releasing her wife's hand to spread out their blanket while the queen began to unpack their picnic basket. "Forever you, darling," she answered with a wink, kneeling down as she began to lay out an assortment of fruits, cheeses, and smoked meats as well as a flask of water that she chilled with a quick burst of magic. "For I surely could have learned the art from no one else, sheltered as I was before you corrupted my innocence with your charming wiles."

Honeymaren smirked as she sat down behind the spirit of winter with a leg on either side of her, nuzzling her sweetly and whispering in her ear. "Well, I know one thing is true," she murmured, dragging her lips in a teasing, featherlight caress along the incredibly sensitive skin of the queen's neck. Elsa gasped quietly as a shiver ran down her spine, her head instinctively tilting to the side to give her noaide more access. "W-what is that?" she rasped out, a sexy smile tugging at her lips as Honeymaren leaned over to brush her own full ones against them. "A good little girl…eventually turns into a wild woman," she murmured before claiming her lips hungrily, picnic forgotten for the moment…and many moments after.

Eventually, the pair were able to pry themselves away from each other long enough to enjoy a leisurely lunch, spending the majority of the time feeding each other small bites and simply enjoying the company and closeness as they watched the sun sink lower against the waves. Soon enough, Honeymaren felt Elsa leaning back against her a bit more heavily, her breathing growing steadily slower as a full stomach and the relaxing combination of a warm sun and a temperate breeze began to lull the queen to sleep. The fire maven smiled and cuddled her closer, eliciting a quiet hum of happiness from the sleepy blonde. "I think it's time we took that nap my love," she murmured, smirking when the spirit of winter pouted slightly. "I want to spend more time with you. We never get the chance to be alone like this," she mumbled, though as peaceful as she felt she couldn't help but close her eyes. "Spending time with me is exactly what you are going to do, sweet spirit," she chuckled, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Come on now," she said before standing slowly and bending to scoop the tired queen in her arms. Honeymaren gingerly sat in the large hammock, carefully lying back with her head against the pillow and cradling her beautiful bride against her, tucking Elsa's head under her chin to lay over her heart and settling her between her legs. The fire maven wrapped her arms protectively around her love, one leg dangling leisurely out of the hammock as it swayed gently in the salty breeze. The queen moaned softly in deep contentment, snuggling ever closer to her noaide and the comforting, strong rhythm her head lay against – she couldn't remember being more comfortable in all her life.

"Are you sure you don't mind, Maren?" Elsa asked in a quiet, tired voice. "I feel guilty sleeping our time together away. It's too precious to waste-" Honeymaren shushed her gently, laying a hand over her head and pressing a sweet kiss against her hair. "Not a single moment spent with you, awake or asleep, could ever be considered a waste, my goddess," she murmured lovingly. "I swear it to you. Now, close your eyes, baby," she whispered, running her fingers soothingly through her hair as her low, smooth voice lulled the queen ever closer toward slumber. "Elsa…everything feels right when you are here, in my arms. It's hard to explain, but…you quiet my mind," she murmured gently, brushing white-gold bangs away from peacefully closed eyes. "Being alone here with you…I've never felt such a peace in my soul. Before you came to the forest, it was as if I were simply going through the motions to survive. There was no hope, no future, no purpose in that mist – what kind of a life could I have possibly had?" she asked with a slight scoff, shaking her head a bit before looking down when she felt the queen lift her head, her eyes softening to find crystalline eyes gazing up at her as she made her tender confession. "But when you appeared through the mist like the angel you are, I knew in my heart that my life had finally begun…and it couldn't have come in a more beautiful form," she finished with a smile. "I didn't know it was possible to love everything about someone until the day I met you, Elsa. Moments like these are the closest to heaven that I'll ever be…and I've technically been there," she teased, earning a small frown from the queen and laughing quietly when Elsa reached around to pinch her side lightly. "That's not funny, Maren," she grumbled, eliciting an apologetic grin from the fire maven as she pulled the spirit of winter closer to her and mumbled an apology, guiding her head to lay over her heart once more. Honeymaren began to run her fingers soothingly through the silken waterfall of Elsa's hair once more, feathering slow, soft kisses to her forehead. "Sleep, my goddess. I know you're tired," she murmured quietly into her hair, smiling warmly when she felt Elsa sigh deeply in contentment against her chest. "And don't you worry about the time...because we have the rest of our lives ahead of us."

AN:

I'm baaaaaccckkk.

Sorry for the long delay, post-'Rona life is a little cra-cra. I've been working constantly - all of my classes and seminars were booked three months out within a few weeks of returning to my post. EEK! Apparently school is NOT out for the summer for this dog trainer X.x.

Anyway! Thanks to everyone who is sticking with me. I had a LOT of guest reviews (whether it's from a bunch of individuals or one or two REALLY enthusiastic readers I have no idea) that I, unfortunately, am not able to reply to on the app, so I will attempt to here:

1) Nope, I'm not dead.

2) I promise, I'm not dead.

3) I'm glad you like my story enough to re-read it!

4) I won't ever, ever give up on this story, no worries!

5) Still not dead.

6) My suggestion is to print out the fic, boil it down to a liquid, and inject it straight in your veins at this point.

7) Should I die, I will find a way to haunt and put a "discontinued" update somewhere.

8) But again, not dead. XD

9) Good observation about the introduction of Revontuli and the change in pronouns! Yes, I DID purposely begin with he/him pronouns upon introducing the character. My thought was that because Revontuli's identity was completely masked, it would have been a natural assumption for a bounty hunter to be male to be physically capable of bringing in a man like Hans alive. When Elsa and Anna were sleeping, the pronouns changed to they/them without another person's view or concept of Revontuli to confirm or deny otherwise, then changed to she/her when it became obvious for you, the reader, that Revontuli was, in fact, our dear Honeymaren. Keen eyes!

I promise, promise, promise that even if it takes me some time between updates now that life is back to kicking my butt, I will NEVER abandon this story. In fact, I have pondered upon some things that should actually take it to at least 55-60 chapters with at least two more of them taking place during the honeymoon. Fear not, friends, Winter's Echo is alive and well - Volchise is just very very very very VERY tired...and also contemplating making an email address for this story so you can send inquiries of death to a place I can reply. ^^;;

Enjoy, friends!

-Volchise